June 27, 2006

CAS will rule on Astaná-Wurth by Friday

The general secretary of the Court of Arbitration for Sport will take up Astaná-Würth's case, deciding by Friday whether the team can start the Tour de France on Saturday, and whether Kazakhstan's Alexandre Vinokourov will spice up this year's Tour.

Tour organizers apparently are basing the “disinvitation” on a UCI rule allowing a team or rider “may be excluded from a race if he/it seriously blemishes the image of cycling or of the race.”

As for the UCI itself, spokesman Enrico Carpani expressed his frustration with the way that Operación Puerto is playing out in the Spanish press:

“We cannot start any disciplinary procedure against riders or teams on the basis of a newspaper report,” Carpani said. “If the secret of the investigation is lifted, we will be able to intervene, but not with the situation as it is now. We need concrete proof, and names, by the Spanish judicial authorities to have the legal basis for further action, including possible sanctions.”